Machine for printing textiles



DeC- 23, 1941- v.1. T. MONTAGUE Erm. 2,257,595-

' MACHINE FOR `PRINTING TEXTILES Filed Feb. 20, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 HNE S SM N N m v 5m. hw l, NQ Wfl; N Y Nm. mw

Ja/12244 w ATTO EYS Dec. 23, 1941. .1. T. MONTAGUE ErAL MACHINE FOR PRINTING' TEXTILES Filed Fleb. 20, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 LN/"K' 4 [5] Dec. 23, 1941. J. T, MONTAGUE Erm. 2,267,596

MACHINE FOR PRINTING TEXTILES Filed Feb. 20, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 AVA .,g/ 34 y F. L5 W w W *am ATTO Patented Dec. 23, 1941 v MACHINE FOR PRINTING TEXTILES John T. Montague, Westport, Conn., and Frederick B. Wierk, Beading, Pa., asslgnor, by direct and mesne assignments, to Stonybrook Incorporated, Bridgeport, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application February zo, 1940, serrer No. 319,856

(C1. 10i-12e) 15 Claims.

The present invention relates to stencil printing machines and embodies, more speciiically, a stencil printing machine by means of which a series of successively applied stencil printings may be made upon suitable material in a new and effective manner.

'Ihe invention is concerned particularly with mechanism by means of which a stencil is moved periodically with respect to the material to be printed, the stencil being located accurately in proper registration at each printing position and the printing being accomplished mechanically.

In accordance with the present practice, where materials such as cloth in considerable lengths is to be printed by means of a stencil. the material is secured to a long table and operators move along the table locating the stencil in the successive printing positions, and applying the ink tion of these machines among which is the difiiculty of handling the material and locating it properly with respect to the stencil.

In order to correct the diiiicuities encountered in the prior art, as voutlined above, the present invention has been designed an an object thereof is to provide a stencil printing machine in which the fabric is secured upon a long table and the stencil is automatically applied and the printing accomplished periodically and in properly located successive positions.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in a mechanism of the above character, a stencil carrying apparatus wherein the application of the stencil to the material to be printed is controlled by relativel movement -between the stencil carrying apparatus and the table;

A further object of the invention is to provide, in a mechanism of the above character,

stencil controlling means. whereby the application of the stencilto the material to be printed i and the removal thereof from the material is accomplished lautomatically upon the locating of th'e stencil carrying mechanism in each printing position.

A further object of the invention is to provide i an effective mechanism by means of which the application of color to the stencil is accomplished automatically upon movement of the stencil into a printing position on the material to be printed.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide control mechanism by means yof which the stencil carrying apparatus. is advanced toward the next printing position upon removing the stencil-from the material upon completion of a printing operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide an electrical control system by means of which the operation of the -various elements ofA the printing machine may be effectively coordinated.

These and other objects are attained by a machine which embodies the present invention and which will now be described specifically with reference to the accompanying drawings, where- A Fig. l is a plan view partly broken away and in section, showing a stencil printing machine constructed in accordance with the present in- Fig. Li is a View in transverse vertical section taken in a plane indicated by the line 4--4 of Fig. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic villustration ofthe electrical circuits by means of which the machine is controlled.

Fig. 6 is a fragmental view showing details of the switch mechanism by means of which certain of the circuits shown in Fig. 5 are cony trolled.

.In the above drawings, a stationary table is shown at I0 upon which material Il to be printed is secured. In practice, the table l0 is sufficiently long to accommodate thelength y of the material to be printed and, in the form shown herein, is provided with toothed tracks i2 upon opposite sides thereof.

A carriage I3 is adapted to be moved along the table and supported thereon by shafts I4 and I 5, each of which shafts is provided with two gear wheels I8 which engage the respective tracks I2.

The carriage I3 is advanced along vthe table by a drive mechanism that supplies power' to the shaft I 4 inthe following manner.

At one end of the carriage I3 there is provided a-platform Il upon which a motor I8 is secured. The motor I8 drives a shaft I9 through gears 29, and shaftA I9 drives pinion 2l which may be located Awithin a control box 22, mounted at one side of thereto for supplying power to the gear I5 car- Y ried by the shaft I 4. y

In order that the carriage may be locked in the successive printing positions, the magnetic clutchY 30 is provided with a brake 3i, that locks the shaft I4 with respect to the carriage I3 when the clutch 38 is not in driving engagement with the shaft I4. The control of the driving clutch 38 is eiected by means of electrical circuits which may be described hereinafter.

As will be seen in Figs. 1 and 2-A, the carriage I3 is indexed at successive printing positions by means of a control mechanism including a switch S-2 that is operated by a pin 33 carried upon a gear wheel 34, journaled in a bracket 35. The gear wheel 34 is driven by means of a gear 36 that is mounted on a counter"V shaft I5' and driven by gear 35' engaging gear It on the shaft I5. In this fashion, when the carriage has u advanced along the tracks I2 to a desired printing position, determined by the diameter of gear 34, the pin 33 engages an actuating arm 32 of the switch S-2 to disengage the magnetic clutch 30, as will be described hereinafter in connection with the circuit diagram shown in Fig. 5. By selecting the proper size of gear 34, the travel of the carriage I3 between successive printing positions may be accurately' controlled and the bracket 35 will be seen to be formed to actuate gears ofvarying sizes.

The carriage I3 is located or guided properly with respect to the `table I0 -by 'means of a plurality of guide rollers 31 and, within the carriage, a frame 38 is movably received. Frame 38 is guided so that it will only move in a vertical plane by means of guide rollers 39 which are mounted upon the inner side of the side walls of extend across the frame'38 and are journaled in bushings 54, carried by such other end of the frame, and it will thusebe seen that the left-hand end of theA frame 38, as viewed in Fig. l, is supported pivotally about the axis of universal joints 5I. In this manner, the frame 38 can be moved from the printing position as shown in Fig. 3 to the non-printing position, shown in Fig. 2, in which position the carriage I3 may be advanced along the table. The motor 98 serves to move the frame from either of these positions. The motor 98 is controlled by the switch S-Z, previously described, as well as a switch S-3 (Fig. 6), mounted upon the inside of the carriage I3, and a switch S-l, mounted on the side of the frame 38. The frame 38 is provided with an arm 55 that is adapted to actuate the switch S-3 in the manner illustrated in Fig. 6, causing the circuit of motor 48 to be de-energized when the frame 38 has been lowered into the printing position shown in Fig. 3. Switch S-Il serves to close the circuit of motor I8 after the inking operation has been completed (as will be described presently), so that the frame 38 may be elevated into the position shown in Fig. 2. When the frame is so elevated, a switch S--I, also mounted on the inner side of the carriage I3 is actuated by the arm 55 to close the circuit of the clutch 30 so that the carriage may be advanced along the table in a manner already described. In order that the printing operation may be accomplished, the frame 38 is provided with a stencil box 55, carrying a stencil 5l and being suitably mounted within the frame 38 by means, for example, such as angle irons 58 upon which arms 59, secured to the stencil box,A rest. When the printing operation is to be accomplished, the colormust be applied to the stencil so that it will pass therethrough and onto the material I I. This is done by means of paddles 59 and 8l that are carried by a frame 52, journaled on a transverse shaft 63. The frame is normally held in a position such that either paddle engages the stencil 5 by means of a roller 53.' mounted on a spring 64, secured to a shaft 55, carried on' a bracket 85 that is mounted upon a head 53. A curved tract 6I is mounted on the paddle frame 52 for engagement by the roller 53 and thus holds the paddle frame in position such that either paddle engages the stencil, as will be readily apparent.

The heads 68 and paddle frame are advanced along the stencil by means of the shafts 49 that are formed withforward and reverse threads 59. Heads 68 are provided with a pin to engage the threads 59 so that rotation of the shafts 59 causes j the threads 69 to move the heads along the the carriage I3. The frame 38 is moved vertically by means of chains 40 that are secured to lugs 4|, adjacent the lower portion of the frame 38, and are received over sprocket wheels 42. The sprocket wheels 42 are secured to` a driveshaft 43 that is mounted upon a platform 44 formed on the carriage I3. An intermediate bearing 45 may be provided, and power is supplied to the shaft by means of a worm wheel 46 and worm 4l, driven by a motor 48 that is mounted upon the platform 44. The control of motor 48 will be described in greater detail presently.

The other end of the frame 38 is supported by means of spaced shafts 49 that are journaled in bushings 50 formed in the other end wall of the frame 38. Shafts 49 are secured to universal joints 5I which are driven by shaft sections 52, journaled at 53 on the carriage I3. Shafts 49 shafts. When the heads reach the limit of the threads in one direction, the reverse'threads carry the heads back in the opposite direction, thus causing the paddle frame to be moved back and forth across the stencil. Rotation of the shafts 49 through the universal joints 59 is effected by means of bevel gears 'I9 that are secured to the shaft sections 52 and engage bevel gears 1I, secured to a drive shaft 12. The drive shaft 'I2 is provided with a sleeve 13, rotatable thereon and formed with a gear 'I4 that engages the driving gear 23. An electro-magnetic clutch 'I5 serves to set up a driving connection between the sleeve 'I3 and the shaft l2, the clutch 'l5 being controlled by circuits that will be described presently in connection with switches S--3 and S-4. When the paddle frame 62 moves from the position shown in Fig. 3 toward the rightand reaches the end'of the thread 88, the paddle 6| will engage a flange 16 and be deilected downwardly into engagement with the stencil, being held in that position by the roller 63 which will then engage the left-hand end of the track 01, as viewed in Fig. 3. The color f1.1 will thus be moved back toward the left, as viewed in Fig.

.3. with the corresponding movement of the paddle frame 62, until the paddle 80 engages a lefthand guide ange 18 and is'\\moved into the position shown in Fig. 3.

As the paddle frame reaches the extreme lefthand position shown in Fig. 3, a cam 19 actuates the control switch S-4 to disengage the clutch 15 and close the circuit of the motor 48, to raise the stencil from theltable in a manner to be described presently. vIn order that the cam 19 may not again actuate the switch S-4 in its movement to the right as viewed in Fig. 1, it is mounted on an L-shaped lever 200, pivoted at 20| on the paddle assembly. A lug 202 on the frame 38 is engaged in the iinal movement of the paddles to the left as `viewed in Fig. l to move the cam 19 in the position shown in Fig.1 and indicated by reference character 203. A lug 204, also on the frame 38, serves to restore the lever 200 to a position in which the cam 19 will engage the arm of switch S-4.

Referring to Fig. 5, the operation of the machine will be described in connection with the electrical circuits by means oi which the motor 48 and electro-magnetic clutches are controlled.4

supply current to the system now to be described.

A switch 85 may be provided in either of the wires 83 or 84 to control the operation of the mechanism, the wire 83 being connected to one back contact 86 of the switch S-4. The other back contact 81 of this switch is connected, by means of a wire 88, to the coil 89 of a relay R. The other terminal of the coil 89 is connected by means of a wire 90 to the coil 9| of a relay L, the other terminal of this coil .9| being connected, by means of a wire 92, to the back contact 93 of switch AS-2. The other back contact 94 of switch S--2 is connected to the wire 83 by means of a wire 95.

In order that the motor 48, may be reversed, its armature is connected to the movable contacts a and c of a reversing switch R. S., by

means of wires 96 and 91, respectively. The eld 98 of motor 48 is connected to switch contacts b and d by means of wires 99 and |00, respectively.

Stationary contacts a1 and a2 of contact a are each connected to the wire 83 by means of wires |0| and |02, respectively. Stationary contacts b1 and b2 of contact b are connected to wires 83 and 84, respectively by means of wires |03 and |04. Stationary contacts c1 and c2 of contact c are connected to the wire 84 by means of wires |05 and |06, respectively. Stationary contacts cll and d2 of contact d are connected to Wires 84 and 83 by wires |01 and |08, respectively. The reversing switch R. S. is moved into either left or right hand closed positions by means of coils |09 and ||0, respectively. When the coil |09 is energized, ther contacts a, b, c and d are connected to the respective contacts a1, b1, c1, and all, and the motoroperates in one direction. When the coil ||0 is energized,l the contacts a, b, c and d engage the respective contacts a2, b2, c2, and d2.

,It will be seen that the polarity of the armature of motor 48 will be the same either of the pcsitio'ns of` the reversing switch R. S. However,

the polarity of the field 98 will be reversed when the switch R. S. is moved from one closed position to the other.

The coils |09 and ||0 are controlled by the relays L. and R. and the yswitches S1 and S3 in the followingv manner. Current from the wire 84 is supplied through wires and ||2 to the front contact ||3 of switch S1. The other front contact ||4 of the switch S1 is connected to the coil |09 by -means of a wire ||5. The other terminal of coil |09 is connected by means of a wire| I6 to a wire ||1 that is connected to contact ||8 of the relay L. The other contact ||9 of the relay L is connected to a wire |20 that is connected to the other supply wire 83.

One terminal of the coil ||0is connected by means of a wire |2| to a wire |22 that is connected to one contact |23 of the relay R. The other contact |24 of relay R is connected to the wire 83 by means of a wire |25. terminal of coil ||0 is connected to the front contact |26 of switch S3 by means of a wire |21, While the other front contact |28 of switch S3 is connected, by means of a wire |29, to a wire |30 thatis connected to the supply wire 84. A wire |3| also connects the supply wire 84 to the wire 90.

Back contact |32 of switch S1 is connected to the wire by means of a wire |33, while the other back contact |34' of switch S1 is connected to the coil |35 that actuates the electro-magnetic clutch V30, lby means of a wire |36. The other terminal of coil |35 is connected by means of a wire |31 to the front contact |38 of switch S2. The other front contact |39 of switch S2 is connected to Wire ||1 by means of a wire |40.

Back contact 4| of switch S3 is connected to wire |30 by means of a wire |42, while the other back contact |43 of switch S3 is connected to coil |44 by means of wire |45. The coil |44 actuates the electro-magnetic clutch 15 in a manner to be presently described. The other terminal of coil |44 is connected by means of a wire |46 to the front contact |41 of switch S4, while the other front contact |48 of switch S4 is connected to wire |22 by means of a Wire |49.

The operation of the device will now be described. Assumlng that the carriage I3 is moving toward a printing position, `the pin 33, when the carriage reaches the printing position, will actuate the switch'S2 to open contacts |38 and |39 and close contacts 93 and 94. This will cause current to'iiow from wire 83 through. wire 95,

across contacts -93 and 94, through Wire 92, through coil 9| and wires 90 and |3|, to the supply wire 84. This will energize the coil 9|, breaklng contacts ||8, H9, and closing contacts |23 and |24. The carriage |3 having stopped when the switch S2 breaks contacts |38, |39, will remain in the printing position and, byreason of the closing of relay R, current will ow from supply wire 83 through wire |25 and contacts |23, |24, through wires |22 and |2|, to the coil H0, then through wire |21, across contacts 26 and |28, and through wires |29 and |30 to the supply' wire 84. Coil H0 being energized closes the reversing switch R. S. in the right-hand position and the motor 48 is operated to lower the stencil into thel printing position as shown in Fig.

3. 'When the stencil reaches this position, the arm actuates switch S3 to open contacts |26 and |28 and close contacts |4|, |43. This stops the stencil in printing position by opening the The other clrcuit of motor 48 inasmuch as the reversing switch R. S. is normally held in the open position illustrated in Fig. 5, and current will then iiow from supply wire 84 through wires |30 and |42, across contacts Ml and |43, through wire |45 and coll |44, through wire |45 and across contacts M1, |48 of S4, through the wires |49 and |22, to the relay R, across contacts |23 and IM and through wire to the supply wire 83.. This energizes the coil ltd! and actuates the clutch 'l5 to cause the paddles to move back and return across the stencil.

Upon the return movement of the paddles, the switch S4 is actuated by the cam 'I9 to opn the contacts |41 and |48, thus releasing clutch l5, and close contacts 8S, el. 'I'hiscauses current to ow from the supply wire 83 across the contacts 86, 8l, through the wire 88 and relay coil 89, and through Wires 9|] and |3| to the supply line 8d. The result is thatrelay R is open and relay L is closed, causing the motor I8 to be operated in the reverse direction to raise the stencil from the table. 'Ihis is done by current that flows from supply wire d3 through the wire l20, across contacts H8, liti, through wires lll'l and llt, through coil ltd, wire ||i5,`across contacts ill-l and M4, and through wires H2 and lll to the supply wire 84. Coil Mit is thus energized to close the reversing switch in the left-hand position and effect the operation just referred to.

When the stencil is raised to the position shown in Fig. 2, the arm 55 actuates switch S1 to open the circuit of coil |09 through contacts liti and |54, thus stopping the stencil in the raised position, and close the contacts |32 and |313. This supplies current from supply wire 84 through wires lll and |33, across contacts |32 and i3d, through Wire |36 and coil l35, through Wire i3? and across contacts |38, |39, through wires |60 and Hl, across contacts Hi8 f and M9, and through Wire |20 to the supply wire 83. The clutch is thus engaged andthe carriage moves to the next printing position, causing the complete cycle just`described to be repeated.

It is to be observed that switches S2 and S4 and the pin 33 and cam 'lil are so formed that, in operation, there is suillcient over-travel of the pin and cam to permit the vswitches to return to their normal position, which is the up position, as illustrated in Fig. 5.

In multi-color printing, where a second color is to be applied to the material to be printed, it is essential that accurate registration be had between the successive colors. This is accomplished by an indexing nger 35' that coacts with a mark 34 on gear 34. The mark 34' is applied to the gear where it comes to rest at the index finger after the over-travel of the gear has taken place. This enables the additional colors to be applied in register by starting the subsequent printing operations with vmark at the index nger.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that a completely automatic mechanism has been provided by means of which the stencil may be applied in correct register in successive printing positions, and the application of the color accomplished uniformly and with a high degree of eiliciency.

While the i'nvention has been described with reference tothe speciiic structure and electrical connection shown in the accompanying drawings, it is not to be limited save as defined in the appended claims.

We claim: 1. Stencil printing mechanism comprising a table upon which material to be printed is adaptaccmee ed to be received, a carriage movable with respect'to the table, a stencil on the carriage,

means to move the stencil with respect to the' table, means to move the carriage with respect to the table, and means to interrupt the movement oi the carriage in predetermined positions.

2. Stencil printing mechanism comprising a table upon which material to be printed is`adapted to be received, a carriage movable with respect to the table, a stencil on the carriage, means to move the stencil with respect to the table, means to move the carriage with respect to the table, and means operated by movement of the carriage to interrupt the movement oi' the carriage in predetermined positions. f

3. Stencil printing mechanism comprising a table upon which material to be printed is adapted to be received, a carriage movable with respect to the table, a stencil on `the carriage, means to move the stencil with respect to the table, means to move the carriage with respect to the table, means operated upon movement oi' the carriage to interrupt the movement of the carriage in predetermined positions, andmeans to lock the carriage against movement.

t. Stencil printing mechanism -comprising a table upon which material to be printed is adapted to be received, a carriage movable with respect to the table, a stencil on the carriage, means to move the stencil with respect to the table, a paddle frame and paddle adapted to move color over the stencil, means to move the carriage with respect to the table, and means operated upon movement of the stencil to the table to move the paddle frame with respect to the stencil. l A

5. Stencil printing mechanism comprising a table upon which material to be printed is adapted-to be received, a carriage movable with respect Tto the table, a stencil on the carriage, means to move the stencil with respect to the table, a paddle frame and paddle adapted to move color over the stencil, means to move the carriage with respect tothe table, means actuated upon a predetermined movement of the carriage along the table to interrupt the movement of the carriage, and means operated while the movement of the carriage is interrupted to move the paddle frame with respect to the stencil.

6. Stencil printing mechanism comprising a table upon which material to be printed is adapted to be received, `a carriage movable with respect to the table, a stencil carrying frame on the carriage, a stencil on the frame, means to move the frame with respect to the carriage, a paddle frame and paddle adapted to move the color over the stencil, means to move the carriage with respect to the table, means to move the paddle frame with respect to the stencil, and means to initiate the actuation of the last named means when the stencil carrying frame reaches a printing position.

7. Stencil printing mechanism comprising a table upon which material to be printed is adapted to be received, acarriage movable with respect to the table, a stencil on the carriage, means to move the stencil toward and away from the table, a paddle frame and paddle adapted to move color over the stencil, means to move the paddle frame over the stencil, and means actuated by the iinal movement of the paddle frame to actuate the means to move the stencil away from 'the table. V

8. Stencil printing mechanism comprising a table upon which material to be printed is adapted to be received, a carriage movable with respect to the table, a stencil on the carriage, means to move the carriage with respect to the table, and meansloperated by relative movement between the carriage and table to locate the carriage at successive stencil applying points.

9. Stencil printing mechanism comprising a table upon which material to be printed is adapted to be received, a carriage movable with respect to the table, a stencil on the carriage. means to move the carriage with respect to the table, means to move the stencil with respect to the table, and means operated upon predetermined movement. between the carriage and table to move the stencil into a printing position against the table.

10. Stencil printing mechanism comprising a. table upon which material to ,be printed is adapted to be received, a carriage movable with respect to the table, a stencil on the carriage, means to move the carriage with respect to the table, means to move the stencil with respect 'to the table, means operated upon predeter` mined movement between the carriage and table to move the stencil into a printing position against the table, and means operated upon the completion o a printing operation to elevate the stencil from the table.

11. Stencil printing mechanism comprising a table upon which material to be printed is adapted to be received. a carriage movable with respect to the table, a stencil on the carriage, means to move the stencil with respect to the table, means to apply a color to the stencil, means to operate the colox` applying means and means operated by movement of the stencil against the table to initiate the operation of the last named means.

12. Stencil printing mechanism comprising a table upon which material to be printed is adapted to be received, a carriage movable with respect to the table. a stencil on the carriage,

means to move the stencil with respect to the table, means to apply a color to the stencil, means actuated upon movement of the stencil against the table to operate the color applying means, and means actuated by the color applying means upon completion of the application of respect to the table, a stencil on the carriage;

means to move the carriage with respect to the table, means to move the stencil toward and away from the table, and means operated upon movement of the stencil away from the table to actuate the carriage moving means.

ifi. Stencil printing mechanism comprising a table upon which material to be printed is adapted to be received, a carriage movable with respect to the table, a stencil on the carriage, means to move the carriage with respect to the table, means to move the stencil toward and away from the table, and means operated upon movement of the stencil to a printing position to render the stencil moving means inoperative.

i5. Stencil printing mechanism comprising a table upon which material to be printed. is adapted to be received, a carriage movable with respect to the table, a stencil on the carriage, means to move the stencil with respect to the table, a paddle frame and paddle adapted to move color over the stencil, means to move tine carriage with respect to the table, means actuated upon a predetermined movement of the carriage along the table to interrupt the movement of the carriage, and means actuated by movement of the stencil toward the table to move the paddle frame with respect to the stencil.

JOHN T. MONTAGUE. FREDERICK B. WERK. 

